Meat stamp



H. H. MOKEE 1,843,098

man sun? Filed July 27.192"! 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 Jan; 26, 1932.

Jan. 26, 1932. H. H. M KE E MEAT STAMP Filed July 27, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Y fwefzfir fi ariy A Wafee.

enemies den. 2e, rea s with? RY H. MCKEE, F CCAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0SWIFT 6?; COMPANY, 0F

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPQRATION OF ILLINOIS MEAT STAMP Applicationfiled July 27, 1927. Serial No. 208,668.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for marking meats andthe like, more particularly for marking fresh meat.

Heretofore, there has been no very satisfactory means for marking freshmeats,

especially for marking the whole length of the meat, so that theseparate pieces out therefrom could be identified. Tattoo brushes havebeen used for marking the skins of live hogs so that the marks can beseen after the carcasses have been scalded and dehaired; and also rubberstamps and blunt pointed pins have been used for stamping meat with ink,but in this invention sharp instruments such as needles are arranged insymbol forming groups and mounted in such manner as on the periphery ofa roller or stamp cylinder, with suitable means for supplying ink to theends of the needles so that the entire length of the meat may be markedin'a single operation; one of the main objects of this invention beingto provide suitable means for marking the meat products by embedding theink in the surface thereof.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is the side elevation of the marking device.

Fig. 2 is aview looking toward the right side of Fig. l. i Fig. 3 andFig. 4 are side and face views respectively of one of the needle stamps.

Fig. 5 is aside elevation on a reduced scale showing the full length ofthe marking device.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substan tially on the line 66 of Fig.2.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the device, with the handle shown insection.

Fig. 8 is a plan section taken on the line 88 of Fig. 6.

eferring to the drawings, a stamp cylinder, or roller 1' is providedhaving a long hub 2 at one side, and a short hub 3 on the opposite side.The drum is journaled in the ends of the arms 4 and 5 of the U-shaped"frame member 6 which is fixedly attached to the upper end of the handle7. The marking needles 8, in suitable groupings, are fixedly mounted inblocks 9 which are removably secured around the periphery of the roller1 by means of the flat head screws 10, as is best shown in Fig. l andFig. 2.

In order to properly ink'the ends of the 55 cylinder is rotated. Thebrush is provided so with long fibre bristles 12 which are fixedlysecured in a still metal back 13 which is soldered or otherwise securedin place in the sheet metal ink reservoir 14. The bristles projectthrough an pening-in the top ofthe es reservoir, and the reservoir isprovided with a removable cover plate 15 on the outer side of the brushto afford access for cleaning, the reservoir bein filled with ink byremoving the plug 16 w ich is threaded into the side of the reservoir.Preferably the back of the brush is perforated, as shown in Fig. 6, byth channels 17 so that the ink may pass up into the bristles, and arubber or soft fibre band 18 is wound around the base of the is bristlesto tend to hold the ink therein.

On account of the needles revolving in a fixed path, the brush is givena reciprocating motion so as to distribute the ink into the bristleswhich are wiped by the ends of the so needles. This movement isaccomplished by mounting the reservoir 14:, in which the brush isfixedly secured, slidably on the bracket members 20 which are integralwith and extend from one side of the frame 6. as

The holes 21 for the fastening screws 22 which thread into the bottom ofthe reservoir, are slotted, and a spring 23 is attached at one end ofthe reservoir 14- by means of a screw 24:, and attached at the oppositeend as to the post 25 which is fixedly secured in the arm iof the frame,so that the reservoir is urged to move to the left as shown in Fig. 2.

At the let't side of drum 1 is provided an angularly disposed cam 26. 27is rotatably mounted on the post 28 which is ecured to the frame arm 4,and one arm .29 of the bell crank rides the surface of the cam 26 whilethe other arm .30 bears against the end of the reservoir 1% inopposition to $53 The bell crank es tension of the spring 23. Thus asthe drum 1 is turned, the bell crank 27 is oscillated on the post 28,and transfers a reciprocatory movement to the reservoir 14 and the brush11.

In use, the device is usually held in the upright position as shown inFig. 5, and the markings are placed on the hanging meat by sweeping theroller down along the side thereof. The amount of penetration of theneedles islargely controlled by the rolling action from one group ofneedles to the next, but the needles are not turned to so great anangle, while imbedded in the meat, as to cause the edges of. the marksto become blurred. The ink is wiped off the ends of the needles as theypenetrate the meat and the ink becomes imbedded in the tissues, near thesurface thereof.

Manifestly the whole length of the meat may be marked with one motion,and the marks are closely spaced, so that the cuts from the meat willbear at least some portion of the markings after being severed from thewhole piece. By placing the inking device on the lower side of theroller, the needles do not become fouled with ink, since only the endsare moistened, and the ink is immediately wiped off as the needles passaround into engagement in the surface being marked. The ink isthoroughly distributed into the brush, and is applied evenly to thepoints. It is also obvious that the blocks can be readily replaced forrenewal, or to change in the mark.

Applicant does not claim any such variations of the construction, herinshown and described, as would include the check-protector of the patentto Dauley et al. of March 20, 1923, nor the check marker of patent toCoggeshall of November 18, 1890, but intends that each of the claimsherein be regarded as limited to devices that are adapted for thepurpose of marking a whole length of meat,

so that separate pieces cut therefrom can be A identified, by means ofthe mark thereon, as coming from the same source, and so that eachidentifying mark will be imbedded in the meat, as is accomplished by theuse of the needles which carry the ink or cause the ink to penetratebelow the surface of the meat.

While but one specific embodiment of this invention has been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted Without departing from thespirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for marking meat, a frame the ends of the needles, andmeans for supplying ink to the brush.

2. In a device for marking meat, a frame, a stampcylinder rotatablymounted in the frame, groups of needles projecting from the surface ofthe cylinder, a brush mounted on the frame to contact with the ends ofthe needles, an ink reservoir around the base of the brush. and meansfor reciprocating the brush to distribute the ink therethrough.

3. In a. device for marking meat, a frame having a handle, a stampcylinder rotatably mounted in the frame, groups of needles projectingfrom the surface of the cylinder, abrush slidably mounted on the frameto contact with the needles, an ink reservoir around the base of thebrush, a cam on one end of the cylinder, and means operated by the camto reciprocate the brush as the cylinder is rotated.

4. In a device 'for marking meat, a support, a rotary marking elementmounted on the support, groups of sharp pointed projections mounted onthe marking element and forming successive identifying means on the meatwhen the support is moved over the same, and an inking brush carried bythe support and arranged to contact with the sharp pointed projectionsfor supplying ink to the said sharp pointed projections.

5. In a device for marking meat, a support, a rotary marking elementmounted on the support, transverse groups of needles projecting from andextending across the marking element and forming a series of symbols sothat when the support is moved over the surface of the meat the groupsof needles are successively moved into penetrating contactual relationwith the meat, and an inking brush arranged to contact with the needlesfor supplying ink to the same.

6. In a device for marking meat, a support, a marking element rotatablymounted on the support. transverse groups of needles forming identifyingmeans extending across the marking element in predeterminately spacedrepeated sequence around the periphery of the marking element foreffecting a series of repeated identification marks on the meat when thesupport is moved thereover, and an inking brush mounted on the supportand arranged to contact with the needles for supplying ink to the same.

7. In a device for marking meat, a support, a rotary marking elementmounted on the support, transverse groups of needles projecting from themarking element and forming a series of symbols sothat when the supportis moved over the surface of the meat the groups of needles aresuccessively moved into penetrating contactual relation with the meat,and a transverse inking brush carried by the support and arranged toconh the needles for supplying ink to the same.

8. In a device for marking meat, a support, a, rotary marking elementmounted on the support, transverse groups of needles rojecting from themarking element and orming a series of symbols, and a transverse inkingbrush carried by the support and arranged to contact with the needlesfor supplying ink to the same, said groups of needles being arranged tosuccessively pass through 10 the brush and thereafter to successivelypenetrate successive portions of the meat when the support is moved overthe ,said meat.

92S7igned at Chicago this 14th day of July, 1

16 I HARRY H. MOKEE.

